The present disclosure relates to design and fabrication of integrated computational element (ICE) devices and, more particularly, to ruggedization techniques that provide favorable characteristics for ICE devices used in downhole tools for fluid characterization in the oil and gas industry.
In the field of fabrication of thin-film optical sensing elements for diverse applications, a common problem is the performance of the optical sensors under different, and potentially extreme, environmental conditions. This is more acute in field applications such as encountered in the oil and gas industry where downhole optical tools are used in extreme temperature and pressure conditions. While pressure effects may be mitigated by using an appropriate housing, the operating temperature of the optical tool is very close or equal to that under harsh environment. Palliative measures may be used to compensate for environmental factors of the tool, such as applying appropriate software correction algorithms, during data analysis. However, environmental correction through post-processing alone is often inadequate if the influential factors are not appropriately taken into account at the sensor design and fabrication stage. Once the sensor elements are built with less optimal design and fabrication, it is difficult to perform effective data correction under different environmental circumstances with the expected accuracy and precision, especially in real-time.
In the figures, elements having the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar function, or step, unless otherwise noted.